As with many mountainous regions, the Rockies have a number of areas with hot springs. One of these is about a 2-hour drive from our home and is located in western Montana. It was highly recommended by a dear friend, so last fall my wife and I decided to take a few days and visit this resort. A little slower paced than most of our vacations, but a welcome break after a busy summer.
The place is Quinn's Hot Springs Resort, which rests beside the beautiful Clark Fork River. The resort has been around since 1885 and has served many generations of guests in the past century. The resort and its hot springs are named for Martin Quinn, an Irish immigrant, miner and explorer in the area. Mr. Quinn likely was the first westerner who spotted these hot springs.
Many believe that hot springs have healing properties, and Quinn used this in marketing of his newly found resort. Quinn said the hot springs would help with healing or arthritis and detoxifying the body, and he probably was right. Despite how difficult it was to reach Quinn's in the early years (you could only reach it by long horse or boat ride), many people came.
(Clark Fork River, as viewed from our room at Quinn's Resort)
The resort has grown in size and popularity over the years and has changed ownership several times. More people than ever come to enjoy the beautiful scenery, the refreshing waters, comfortable yet rustic accommodations, and fabulous dining at this resort.
Several lodging choices are available at Quinns, including riverside cabins and rooms, and forested rooms and cabins.
(River Lodge, including details of its lobby)
My wife and I had rented a riverside room in the River Lodge. It was spacious and very comfortable. I didn't see any of the other rooms, but imagine all are nice.
(Our room in Quinn's River Lodge)
There are seven distinct soaking pools at the resort, with different temperatures, age restrictions (children are limited in which pools they can use) and properties. Five of the seven pools are 100% natural flow spring pools, ranging from 100 to 106 degrees. The other two pools are salt-treated and between 90 and 100 degrees. The natural minerals found in all of the pools include calcium, fluoride, magnesium, potassium, sodium, sulfate, and silica.
The hot spring pools themselves may be accessed by resort guests or by using day passes for non-overnight guests. Ask at the desk if you have any questions.
(Harwood House restaurant at Quinn's)
One of the reasons people keep returning to Quinn's is because of the fine dining at the site. The Harwood House Restaurant is an upscale dining establishment specializing in locally sourced food. The restaurant offers meals as varied as bison tenderloin, salmon, prime rib, steaks, salads or pasta dishes. It has an extensive selection of wine, beer and custom cocktails. The restaurant is named for the husband of Quinn's daughter (and for their descendants).
Here are some of what my wife and I enjoyed at Harwood House during out stay:
(Corned beef for breakfast)
(Breakfast burrito)
(Chicken fried steak, scrambled eggs and hash browns)
(Baked potato soup)
The resort has a lot of great bronzes and art in public spaces, Here is a sample of some of them:.
The resort is in a sparsely populated region, but there are many nature-based activities people can enjoy including hiking, horseback riding, fishing, rafting, fly fishing and kayaking. We chose just to relax and soak during our fall visit. And that hot water did feel really good.
Quinn's is worth adding to your travel itinerary when in western Montana. We're heading back for another two day stay this fall, and think it might become an annual tradition for us,
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